UCSB Opens Three-Game Road Trip on Sunday at San Diego

 The Schedule
Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.
UC Santa Barbara at San Diego (2-2)
at San Diego's Jenny Craig Pavilion (5,100)
Series record vs. the Toreros - 13-7
Streak - Won 5
Last time out vs. the Toreros - W, 75-66 (11/16/08)
Broadcast live on AM 990 and streaming live online by clicking here.
Game available via Gametracker

Thursday, November 3, 2009 at 7:05 p.m.
UC Santa Barbara at Portland State (2-3)
at Portland State's Peter W. Stott Center (1,500)
Series record vs. the Vikings - 2-2
Streak - Won 1
Last time out vs. the Vikings - W, 67-61 (1/14/09)
Broadcast live on AM 990 and streaming live online by clicking here.
Game available via Gametracker

 Talk'n Gauchos
UCSB Athletics has a new weekly radio show called Talk'n Gauchos which airs every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. on AM 1490 KIST. The show is broadcast live from State & A Bar and Grill, located on the corner of State Street and Anapamu Street in Santa Barbara. Fans are encouraged to attend the show for free gear and ticket giveaways or to even e-mail a question in to one of the guests and have it read live over the air. The show also airs live online via audio streaming and fans can click here to check out the entire lineup of live audio streaming online.

 Listen Up!
All men's and women's basketball games will be broadcast live on AM 1490 and AM 990 again this year, and those games will also be available online by clicking here.. And, UCSB Athletics is proud to announce that the baseball team will have over 20 games broadcast live on the air and through our website.

 Kentucky Fried Recap
Following consecutive shooting efforts of less than 30% UCSB shot 48.8% from the floor on Wednesday, but it wasn't enough as Kentucky defeated the Gauchos 68-54. Mekia Valentine, back after missing one game due to injury, had 14 points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots in the loss. Emilie Johnson chipped in 14 points as well.

 Tough Start
By opening the season with four straight losses, it has marked the first time a UCSB team has started that way since the 2005-06 season, which was also the last time a UCSB team lost four games in a row, regardless of where it fell on the schedule. That 05-06 Gaucho squad lost its first five contests before finishing 16-14 overall and making the NIT.

 Double Digit Defeats
The last time a UCSB team dropped three consecutively scheduled games by double-digits was during the 1989-90 season.

 Making History
In her first three games in a UCSB uniform, Mekia Valentine has made a huge impact. She leads the team, averaging 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. But, more eye-opening is that she has etched her name in UCSB's single-game record books in all three games. With seven more blocked shots vs. Kentucky, Valentine, who missed Sunday's game vs. LMU with an injury to her right hand, again swatted the second-most shots in a Gaucho game. She also blocked seven shots at Nevada and with six more vs. Fresno State, Valentine had the third-most blocks.

 On the Rebound
Despite dropping their first four games, the Gauchos have outrebounded their opposition in every one of their affairs. As a team UCSB is averaging 37 rebounds per game while opponents are grabbing an average of 34 boards per game. The Gauchos also have seven players pulling down at least 3.0 rebounds per game.

 Swat Team
Through the season's first three games UCSB leads the Big West with its 7.25 blocks per game average. At the Gauchos' current pace they would shatter the single-season record of 140 set in 2003-04. While Valentine has 20 of the team's 29 blocks, Meagan Williams is second with five swats.

 It's Cold Beyond the Arc
UCSB missed all 10 of its three-point attempts vs. Kentucky, the second time this season the Gauchos have missed all of their downtown attempts (also 0-for-17 at Nevada). UCSB is just 7-for-54 from beyond the three-point arc, or 13.0%. Prior to this season, the last time UCSB went at least 0-for-10 from downtown came in a Nov. 26, 2005 loss at BYU when the Gauchos missed all 13 of their three-point attempts.

 Meagan's Moment
Senior guard Meagan Williams had quite the afternoon vs. Kentucky. The Sacramento native scored a season-best 11 points while setting career highs with five assists, four steals and tied her previous personal best by blocking three shots.

 `Dome Sweet `Dome
When the calendar flips to 2010, it will mark the 30th year the Thunderdome has been used for home games and in that time, the UCSB women's basketball team has enjoyed a large majority of its success inside the `Dome. The Gauchos have won over 400 games in the Thunderdome's existence, but over the past two decades, it has really proved to be a home court advantage. Since 1991, UCSB is 200-41 in the Thunderdome, an astounding winning percentage of .830.

 Stayin' Classy, San Diego
The Toreros finish off a three-game week this Sunday after beating Cal State Northridge 90-54 on Tuesday and losing, 65-55, to Arizona on Friday. San Diego has four players averaging double-digit points on the season, led by Emily Hatch's 13.0 ppg. Dominique Connors (12.8), Sam Child (12.3) and Morgan Henderson (10.2) also are counted on to score.

 The Lindsay Gottlieb FileLindsay Gottlieb is in her second season as the Gauchos' head coach, and she is just the fourth head coach in UCSB women's basketball history.
Last season Gottlieb guided the Gauchos to a 22-10 overall mark (15-1 in the Big West) and the Big West regular-season and tournament championships. Named the Big West Coach of the Year, Gottlieb became the first coach in Gaucho history to win at least 20 games and the Coach of the Year award in her first season - and one of only seven coaches nationwide to do so. Gottlieb led the Gauchos to their 14th consecutive postseason appearance and the team won 20 games for the 12th time in the past 14 years.
In her first season at the helm of the program, Gottlieb guided the Gauchos to national prominence, ranking in the top-10 in field goal percentage defense, a top-20 finish in points allowed per game while watching her team set a school record for free throw percentage.
No stranger to success, Gottlieb was formerly the associate head coach at Cal, helping the team to a 68-28 (.708) overall mark in her time there. Prior to that, Gottlieb was an assistant at the University of Richmond, where she helped the Spiders to three straight 20-win seasons.